More than half of Moldova’s villages have no pharmacy. As a result, over 728,000 people on reimbursed medicines must collect them elsewhere, Jurnal.md reports, citing the Health Ministry, which is drafting a bill to cut rural red tape.

Minister Alexandru Gasnaș said 844 of 1,461 villages — 57.8% — have no pharmacy at all. Villages together hold 1.29 million people, or 53.6% of the country’s population. For hundreds of thousands of patients, access to compensated treatment means travelling to towns or larger communes.

The draft would lift siting restrictions, create secondary units (branches), mobile pharmacies and medicine vending machines. Large chains would have to offer full services in localities with more than 3,300 residents. Unlimited-term licences are also under discussion, plus home delivery and collection of expired medicines.

Villages of 1,000–3,299 people would get branches or pharmacy points; those under 1,000 — OTC vending machines and home delivery. A coordinating pharmacist would have to be present in branches at least two days a week, chronic treatment continuity would extend another 30 days between prescriptions, and prices would not exceed urban levels.

Ministry figures also show emptier shelves: versus five years ago, the pharmacy net stock is down by 708 medicines. Over 640 essential prescription drugs have disappeared, and for seven everyday essential substances no product or same-class alternative remains — cheap medicines vanish first.

From compensated-medicine funds, the draft earmarks 225 million lei a year for localities under 1,000 residents and 342 million for the rest. The stated aim: stop forcing more than 728,000 Moldovans to commute just to pick up reimbursed pills.

Source: Peste jumătate dintre satele din R. Moldova nu au nicio farmacie; 728.000 de moldoveni, nevoiți să meargă în alte localități — Jurnal.md